Emma Swan’s relationship with her parents, Snow White (Mary Margaret) and Prince Charming (David), is one of the most emotional and layered stories in Once Upon a Time. Unlike the fairy tale families we grew up reading about, Emma’s family journey was complicated, messy, and ultimately beautiful—a true reflection of real-world relationships.
Emma grew up without her parents. Thanks to the curse cast by the Evil Queen, Snow and Charming were forced to send their newborn daughter to the Land Without Magic to save her from a dark fate. While this heroic act protected Emma, it also meant she spent her childhood in foster homes, growing up believing she was unwanted and alone. By the time she met her parents as an adult, Emma had built emotional walls to protect herself from the heartbreak she had long accepted as normal.
When Snow and Charming are finally reunited with Emma, their joy is overwhelming—but for Emma, the reunion is confusing and painful. She had lived an entire life without them. While her parents see her as their little girl, Emma sees them as strangers. She struggles with the idea of accepting love she was taught, through years of abandonment, didn’t exist for her. Their relationship doesn’t click into place right away. Trust, forgiveness, and understanding have to be built brick by brick.
One of the most compelling aspects of Emma’s journey with her parents is how they constantly work at their relationship. Snow and Charming never give up on their daughter, even when she pushes them away. Emma learns that their love isn’t conditional or based on her behaving a certain way. They love her for who she is—brave, stubborn, compassionate, and deeply good-hearted. Slowly, Emma begins to believe in that love and allows herself to lean on it when she needs support.
Emma’s relationship with her parents also highlights how she takes after them, even without growing up in their care. Like her mother, she has an innate belief in hope and goodness, even when circumstances seem impossible. Like her father, she is fiercely loyal and willing to fight for the people she loves. In many ways, Snow and Charming’s values lived on inside Emma, waiting to be nurtured when she was ready.
Perhaps one of the most emotional moments in their relationship comes when Emma starts to call them “Mom” and “Dad.” These small moments carry incredible weight because they show the growth and healing that have happened over time. Emma’s ability to accept her parents’ love, and Snow and Charming’s patience and unwavering faith in her, symbolize one of the greatest themes of Once Upon a Time: no matter how broken you feel, family and love have the power to heal.
Emma Swan’s relationship with her parents isn’t a perfect fairy tale—it’s better. It’s raw, real, and inspiring. It’s a story that reminds us that love takes work, forgiveness takes courage, and hope is always worth holding onto.
